I Am Nothing Like You
by Darthkvzn
Summary: In the aftermath, Blue Diamond wonders.
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place a little while "after the show". Obviously a lot of speculation and SPOILERS in here. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It seems surreal to her, still.

Blue Diamond slowly walks the now empty halls of the Human Zoo, Blue Pearl hurriedly following along.

"How many times did we visit, Pearl?" -she asks, gazing upwards - the thousands of pink bubbles gone from their former resting place, her view of the stars unopposed.

The former servant answers quickly, a habit she knows the Pearl will not soon be able to break. "Two, before the Rebellion. Seven-hundred and thirty-two, after."

Blue notes her voice is stronger, now. It seems she has benefitted, like most of the lower castes, from the _empowerment_ the Rebels provided. No honorifics, either. Almost like they're _equal_.

It's telling, that she can't even be asked to sneer.

She looks down, sparing a melancholic smile. "I wish I could've understood earlier. Her love for humanity, for Earth."

Pearl's head is held high, meeting her gaze - only possible now that she's parted her hair with some sort of plastic human invention. She finds it the slightest bit disturbing, these days, how much she was _made_ to look like _her_. "I know." -she answers.

"And how could you not? You stood by my side all these eons…" -Blue recognizes, both admiring and bewildered.

"It was my duty." -she answers simply.

Blue scoffs. "It was your _life_. I held it in my hands from the start."

"And now you don't."

The Diamond nods, after a moment. "Yet another thing that changes."

The Pearl purses her lips ever so slightly. "This is progress. You are no stranger to it."

"Aren't I? I avoided my duties as a Diamond for nearly six-thousand years. I have grieved since the moment Pink…" -she retaliates, angry tears starting to form. "Since she was _taken_ from us. I have _yet_ to _move on_. So much so that I allowed _this_." -she spits out, gesturing to her freed servant, to the emptied Zoo.

If she expected Pearl to feel insulted, she's disappointed. "Your duties as Diamond were cruel, often barbaric. You gave little thought as to whose lives you took, Gem or otherwise. At your worst, you orchestrated the deaths of entire worlds."

It's true, and she knows it. She still can't bring herself to truly, honestly _care_ , but hindsight has proven a mighty foe, even for a being as powerful as she. _Especially_ in the context of these muted, rosy halls.

"After the Rebellion, I saw you change. You haven't shattered a Gem _since_. Your sister would carry out such deeds for you."

She winces. "I couldn't- "

"You _could_. You're a _Diamond_. The single most powerful being in the universe." -she shoots back, inexplicably calm. Blue does, however, note the purposeful use of 'single'. "And yet, here we are."

Here they are indeed; a 'simple' Pearl, lecturing her former master, ruler, _owner_.

Pearl's expression turns sad. "It took a _terrible_ price. And seven-hundred and thirty-four visits to this place…" -she says, somewhat amused, even through her subtle tears. "But you are finally someone I would've been happy to serve."

Blue smiles, and for the first time in _too_ _long_ , it's sincere. "In another life, perhaps."

" _Certainly_ not in this one."

* * *

It has only been a year or so since she was last on Earth. She remembers the pleasant surprise at the end of her otherwise depressing trip, the human she encountered at Pink's Palanquin - when she finally began to understand just _what_ she saw in them. What caused her to rebel against her station.

What led to her death.

Her Dreadnought hovers in the upper atmosphere, a glossy blue stain on the otherwise pristine cyan, white, and green of the world below. She can see Pink's birthplace from here, the scar upon this world she least regrets inflicting.

The bridge is empty as she enters it, save for a handful of Peridots and a Nephrite that volunteered to take her to the human homeworld. She can sense their apathy towards her - and a healthy dose of fear, too. She's not sure how that makes her feel yet. She doubts she'll figure it out anytime soon.

"Blue Diamond, we are holding steady in low orbit." -the Nephrite informs her.

"Thank you for your assistance, Captain. I will Warp back to Homeworld when my business here is finished."

The green-black Gem nods her head, in barely appropriate deference. "Of course. Please, give my regards to the Crystal Gems, and have a safe trip."

She knows most Nephrites are enamored with the Rebels. She cannot fathom why, and she doesn't stick around to ask. She thanks the nervous Peridots as well, and leaves without looking back.

Her Palanquin is not exactly equipped for extended atmospheric descent, but it holds together. It's tougher than the _last_ one, though, and manages to survive the trip to the Crystal Gem's main base. There's many of them now - certainly not as many as Rose Quartz recruited during the Rebellion, but enough for her to tread lightly - but the bulk of the Rebels is not there to greet her. In fact, she sees only one Gem awaiting her, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

The worst part is - considering she's never actually _fought_ a Crystal Gem - that she's _familiar_.

"Blue Diamond." -she says, her voice calm and unwavering.

She knows her former subjects, from Corundums to Quartzes and Beryls, and she's none of them. No _single_ Gem type in existence shares this Rebel's traits. "I do not know your name...fusion."

"Garnet. We've met before." -she says, pushing up her visor.

"Have we?" -Blue asks, examining her closer. For a fusion, she's impressively stable. Small in size, humanoid in traits...it would be nearly impossible, were she not a Diamond, for her not to think of this Rebel as some unknown type of single Gem.

Garnet nods. "Five-thousand, seven-hundred and fifty-two years ago."

 _Ah_. That certainly narrows it down. "My defective Sapphire. And the Ruby guard that dared to fuse with her."

This visibly makes the fusion stiffen, but she nods. "The first of your kind...and certainly not the last." -Blue muses.

Cross-Gem fusion. She still cannot understand it. Isn't sure she wants to, but certainly _needs_ to. It's the only thing that can really threaten her these days, with Yellow bubbled away, and White still catatonic. Lesser Gems, blended together into _something_ , a hideous being that can rival a being as powerful as herself.

"I see you've remained fused." -she notes trying her best to keep the contempt from poisoning her tone.

"I've been known to separate. Once every century or so." -Garnet answers, daring to smirk.

The very _thought_ disturbs her. "I cannot fathom it."

Garnet shrugs. "You've never tried it."

There's truth to the fusion's confident statement, and yet Blue can't help but remember Earth-lit moonwalks, eons since past: silent dances, joyful smiles, and flashes of light - being _taller_ still, twice as powerful, even more _alive_.

"Not as you have, certainly."

"You might like it." -the fusion suggests.

Blue scoffs bending down so that her face is close enough for Garnet to touch - or punch. "Is that what you see, _Your Clarity_?"

Garnet is silent for some time, enough to make her wonder if she's simply terrified, or actually looking into the future.

She takes her visor off, a third eye - a relief, to find a defect at last - joining the other two in looking into her own, deeply melancholic. "No. It wouldn't be the same."

Blue almost breaks down on the spot. Somehow, she manages not to. "No. It would not." -she finally answers, after some time.

The fusion does not talk, so Blue shifts her gaze to the massive fusion depicted behind Garnet. She doubts it's to scale - dwarfing her, like she's switched roles with Pearl - but she still knows to fear the nameless, five-Gem fusion. She wonders...

"It wouldn't have helped." -Garnet says, without prompting.

The Diamond frowns. "What?"

"You were going to ask if fusing with her could've saved her. It wouldn't have."

Her eyes narrow in contempt, even as she feels the tears threatening to flow. "Oh? Are Garnets capable of seeing what could have been?"

Garnet's visor materializes again. "I see all possible _futures_ , Blue Diamond. But I don't need this power to figure out that you could not have prevented Pink Diamond's fate."

Her ancient pride wants to argue - to bring her palm down on this impudent _abomination_ , crush her for daring to even _exist_. Perhaps in some timeline, she does, as Garnet turns tense.

In this timeline, however, she cannot bring herself to care. "I wasn't even near her…" -she says, closing her eyes as she feels the tears run free, tracing familiar paths down her face.

Garnet is crying along, of course, bravely trying - and _just_ failing - to resist a Diamond's aura. "None of us were. Not me, not you…not even Rose Quartz."

"I have seen what her sword can - and _cannot_ \- do. I'm _keenly aware_ of how Pink was murdered."

"Then you must be _keenly aware_ that there was nothing to be done. The moment Earth was chosen for a new colony - one that could birth a _Diamond_ \- a path was laid before her. She was brave enough to tread it, even as she saw the end of her journey."

And Pink had been, of course. Braver than any of her kin. Questioning her purpose from the moment she had burst from the Earth's soil. Wondering why she should deserve the adoration of a species her duties would see extinct. Doubting that her servants were anything more than _slaves_.

"You are walking on her footsteps now. Retreading a difficult path. Are _you_ brave enough to walk it?" -Garnet asks her, before turning away, towards the small wooden dwelling cradled in the statue's hands.

She can sense them from here: the original, renegade Pearl, the abnormally powerful Lapis Lazuli, the brilliant little Peridot, the formerly corrupted Jasper, the defective Amethyst - and of course, Rose Quartz. Or rather, her _son_ , the small, half-human hybrid that defies all logic - that has achieved the impossible in dismantling the eons-old Diamond Authority with little more than words and a smile.

Resolute, she takes the next step in her path.

* * *

She remembers the Song. Hasn't been able to completely get it out of her head, since she, Yellow, and White sung it. There are no lyrics to it. Only power, magic, and hatred.

Blue has precious little of those left in her.

They're in the Galaxy Warp, newly repaired, courtesy of the Rebel Peridot and her 'borrowed' Flask Robonoids. Blue expects the little pebble to turn them into killing machines, now that she's done with their original purpose. The eager green Gem reminds her of Yellow, a bit - her sister before the War, when she most enjoyed her inventions and the comfort of her labs, not the thought of Earth's destruction via geo-weapons.

With the Cluster in stasis for the foreseeable future, Earth is safe. Blue is somewhat glad that Yellow is bubbled. At least that way she's safe from harm - from the Rebels, sure, but mostly, from herself.

She's about to step onto the Homeworld Warp, when she turns around. The Crystal Gems all hail her in the traditional way - a gesture of trust, she knows, not the respect and deference it once meant - before warping away.

Steven remains, as does his human companion, the one who wields Rose's Sword.

"I did not learn the name of your partner, Steven Universe." -she says, inexplicably urged to converse with the strange little being.

He gasps, excitable as always. "That's right! Blue Diamond, this is Connie; Connie, that's Blue Diamond!"

The human 'Connie' nods. "...nice to meet you, ma'am."

"You are the first of your species I have talked to since this... _business_ has passed." -Blue notes.

The dark shaded human grabs one of her arms with a hand. "You're...the first Diamond I've ever talked to."

Blue hums. "Likely the last. Your species has short lifespans, and I do not expect my sister to be allowed to reform within yours."

The human doesn't reply immediately. "Do you think she deserves it? Being bubbled?"

She thinks on this for a moment. "No. I do not. The rest she'll find within stasis, however…" -Blue trails off.

"I see." -Connie replies. Blue isn't sure the human can, but she's willing to give her - and her entire species, really - the benefit of the doubt.

"Is there a reason you stayed behind?"

Steven nods. "Yeah...we wanted to thank you, sort of. For sparing us, y'know? The Crystal Gems, the Earth…" -Steven says, awkward.

"You could've fought against us, helped Yellow Diamond keep the status quo intact. Instead, you gave us a chance to prove our innocence - our _worth_." -Connie adds.

Blue smiles, a little sad. "I merely wanted justice, little ones. I did not intend to aid your cause." -she tells them, honest.

"Well, no, but even when you were our enemy, you caused some good things to happen. Like, Garnet exists because of you."

"In _spite_ of me, you may argue."

He continued, unimpeded. "You kept the humans in the Zoo alive and happy, and all of those Rose Quartzes safe!"

"Against my sister's wishes, indeed."

"Even your _horrible_ Corruption song...it's how Steven and I met." -Connie said.

Blue winced, as Steven beamed. "Yeah! A huge worm monster tried to eat us. She's better now, though." -he said, likely referring to his unique ability to reverse the Corruption.

"I would still be the sad, lonely girl without any friends if Homeworld and the War hadn't messed everything up. Now I'm _me_ ; sword fighter, jam bud, one half of Stevonnie...if you caused all that when you were _bad,_ imagine all the good you can do now!" -Connie said, ecstatic.

She shook her head, baffled. "Humans must have a strange sense of humor." -she quipped, then added, kneeling down to level with them. "Yet I feel now I must do all I can not to disappoint you, Connie the Sword Fighter, One Half of Stevonnie. The latter, I must confess, I don't know the meaning of."

Connie and Steven looked at each other, blushing, then took each other's hands, an ethereal glow enveloping them until they merged into a single being.

" _Stevonnie_...you are…"

"A fusion. Nice to meet you." -they said, somewhat nervous.

Most every feeling Blue had ever had ran through her mind, rendering her speechless for a moment. Just as Stevonnie began looking like they might unfuse, however, Blue smiled. "A _human_ as part of a Gem fusion...if only Pink could see you now." -she said, intensely proud in her stead.

The fusion gasped. "Oh! That reminds me." -they said, then whistled loudly. An otherworldly sound, primal in nature, ripped through the night's air, a small portal manifesting and tossing out a furry creature, as pink as Rose's own shield.

Stevonnie reached _into_ the creature's mane, pulling out some kind of wooden container. "What is it?" -Blue asked, curious.

The fusion pursed their lips. "Well, Garnet said you shouldn't get your hopes up...but she also said it was 'worth a try'."

They produced a small, metallic key, and inserted it into the lock, which immediately opened.

Inside, was a bubble, and within it, her love.

"There's more of me on Homeworld, now. Well, other Rose Quartzes. Some, you might even convince to help you. Mom Quartz was never able to restore a shattered Gem, but...that was then, and this is now. Maybe it's time to try again." -Stevonnie said, gently offering the bubble to her. "If you think I could help...maybe I could visit?"

Blue Diamond rose, delicately cradling the bubble in her hands. "The Diamond Authority may have been disbanded, and my power as ruler of Gemkind greatly diminished...but _yes_. A thousand, thousand times yes."

The last thing she saw of Earth was the hopeful smile of the most unique being in the galaxy - and she knew, deep in her Gem, that she would see it again.

* * *

 **I'm _way_ into Steven Universe lately, and I have _thoughts_. Lots of theories and headcanons in this.**

 **This is intended as a one-shot, but I'm thinking about making an epilogue for it. Is that something you'd like to see?**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I _was_ gonna keep this a short and (bitter)sweet epilogue, but I couldn't help myself.**

* * *

Homeworld burns, as it has since the Rebellion overthrew her and her kin, the last remnants of the old order holding out against the crushing, unstoppable advance of change. Agates trying and failing to keep dozens of fed up Quartzes at bay. Aquamarines, poofed in their rest by the Topaz bodyguards they've abused for centuries. Peridots running for their lives as hordes of Rubies tear apart every Harvester in existence. Rhodonites, Opals, and _stars know what else_ , _these days_ , roaming freely on the surface, new giants demolishing the imagery of the old ones - of her, her sister, and her creator.

None dare come close to her palace, of course. A very small - and shrinking - part of her would like to see them try. The rest is entirely absorbed in the most important project she's ever undertaken: fixing a shattered gemstone.

She starts with Stevonnie's suggestion; reaching out to the thousands of Rose Quartzes strewn across the Empire. It is no easy task to even _track_ them all, in the chaos of the aftermath, but it's getting them to even hear her out that proves nearly impossible.

She's not chipped; she understands why they would shy away from talking to a Diamond, even the one that allowed their freedom. But _Mother-of-Pearl_ , it frustrates her. Long ago, at the dawn of Era 1, the lesser Gems believed that a Diamond was Homeworld personified. Some days, she thinks it must be true: on the outside, she's still gleaming, royal, and composed. Inside, she feels hollow. Neglected. Kept functioning via some kind of miracle.

It's Pearl - and really, who else could it be? - who ends up saving her.

Freedom has done her former servant well, if Blue is to be honest. Pearl carries herself with strength and dignity, like a miniature version of the diplomat _she_ used to be, before the War. She keeps busy by acting as the middle Gem between Earth and Homeworld, bringing in such ridiculous human notions as _democracy_ , _representation_ , and _rights_. Were she not entirely devoted to trying to undo Pink's fate, she'd explain to Pearl, _in detail_ , why such a society simply cannot function with Gems - creatures who rely on the destruction of organic life to prosper - at their core.

Since she's desperate at this point, she cooperates without so much as a complaint.

Blue doesn't know how Pearl manages it, but a dozen Rose Quartzes randomly warp into her palace one day, eager to help. Blue warns them of the severity of the gemstone's damage, of the impossible feat they're trying to achieve. Either Rose Quartzes are not entirely in touch with reality - which would explain, in part, Rose's Rebellion - or Pearl motivated them in some major way, because they seem not to think this is an issue.

Over the following days, weeks, and months, more and more Gems arrive to help, seemingly unsolicited. Peridots bring tools and equipment, until her palace becomes a massive laboratory. A Morganite brings her test subjects, in the form of Gems her duties demanded she shatter, but her guilt had her bubble away. A squadron of Topazes secures every possible entrance to Pink's resting place. Even an impressively annoying Aquamarine manages to keep her spirits up, flitting around her head, complaining about all the status and privileges she's lost since the Rebellion toppled the Authority.

The key to success, she knows in her stone, is a combination of new technology, old magic, and a fair amount of power. Shards have part of a Gem's consciousness in them - this is a fact. Blue _knows_ Pink is still herself, inside that bubble. It's all a matter of mending her back together.

Knowing this, it's all the more devastating when the first attempt ends in absolute failure.

It's a Ruby, whom they try to bring back first. A simple Gem, not very powerful, and in this case, not very broken. Two clean halves, no fragmentation. It's an old execution; the newer Robonoids practically disintegrate the gemstone, so that it cannot be used to power a weapon, like the Rebels would do to their dead during the war. The Rose Quartzes supply their healing tears, the Peridots tune a Destabilizer to betray its intended purpose, and _she_ supplies the power.

The gemstone mends back together, her power kick-starts the regeneration process, and the redubbed Stabilizer helps the hard light form stay intact. In _that_ aspect, it's a resounding success.

The fact that this results in a mindless, motionless _hologram_ in the shape of a Ruby marks the attempt as a failure. It only devolves from there, as the gemstone fails to cope with the stress of projecting the body, overheats, and shatters again, this time into _exactly_ twenty-thousand, six-hundred and ninety-eight fragments.

Every Gem in the Palace poofs as her grief overtakes her. All except for Pearl.

She's developed a tolerance, by now.

"My Diamond…" -Pearl attempts to speak to her.

"I am _not_. Not _anyone's_ Diamond any longer." -Blue spits out.

The powder blue Gem ignores her outburst. "Failure was a foreseen outcome, my lady. You must not let this setback break your spirit."

"And _why_ should I _not_? All that the Authority and the Rebellion have done is try their best. Perhaps I should let myself break, once and for all." -she says, icily, then gestures at the outside of her palace. "I have become an _obsolete Gem_ , Pearl. Diamonds are neither needed nor wanted in this new era. What purpose does my existence _serve_ , if I am not allowed to _rule_? If I fail to _adapt_ to this new order?" -she shouts, tears flowing, then suddenly kneels, the polished white floor struggling to cope with her massive body. " _Why_ must I continue to live, if I cannot bring her _back_?"

Blue gives herself to bitterly familiar despair, so completely that she fails to notice Pearl gracefully jumping onto her shoulder.

She puts a hand to her massive cheek, the small gesture nonetheless catching Blue's attention. In another life, she would have shattered her on the spot. In this one, she listens. "I cannot pretend to know or, stars forbid, _dictate_ your purpose, my lady. Perhaps you have none, any longer. All that that means, however, is that no manifest destiny or intended purpose holds you back any longer. You may no longer rule over Gemkind, as you were made to do, but you are still one of the most powerful beings in the universe, now unbound by your duties to the Authority."

Blue ponders this, still tearful. Pearl's words resonate with her, her former servant's experience turned to wisdom. Where before she was little more than a veritable slave, Pearl now coordinates diplomatic efforts with an intelligent species, and the formation of an entirely new form of government for their entire civilization.

"Remember a time when your Lapis Lazulis were naught but court artists? When the Expansion began, they became world-shapers through your influence alone. The Crystal Gems know this lesson well: we can choose to ignore our intended purpose. The choice itself, however, is entirely up to you, to give yourself."

In another era, Blue had been an accomplished tactician. Contrary to popular belief - mostly cemented by Yellow herself, after Pink's death - _she_ had once been at the forefront of the Empire's conquest, while her sister disinterestedly shuffled along. What kind of Gem she would be now, she was not sure. But, if nothing else, she had _one_ purpose, and she would take a cue from her previous life.

* * *

The Rebels are waiting for her when she arrives at the Galaxy Warp, accompanied only by a pair of Topaz guards and the ever-present - and always annoying - Aquamarine.

Garnet greets her, her arms twisting into the Diamond symbol as if the fusion had performed it every day of her life. It's their understanding, Blue supposes: mutual respect, if not _ever_ affection. Beside the unnatural fusion, the renegade Pearl defiantly stares back at her, the overcooked Amethyst pretends to be disinterested, and the Peridot tries not to shake herself into regeneration.

"I have come to bargain."

" _Please._ What can _you_ offer _us_ , Diamond?" -the Pearl hisses.

She resists the urge to sneer. "Peace. The lasting kind."

This confuses the Pearl, who no doubt thought the conflict ended with the Authority's demise. "Go on." -Garnet asks of her, after a moment.

"Your Homeworld burns, Rebels. You've poisoned the lesser minds with your idealistic crusade. Ruby hordes attack their former masters on sight. Pearls backstab their owners without a second thought. _Fusions_ tear down our ancient monuments." -she says, caustic, directing a disdainful look in Garnet's direction. The fusion merely grins, _almost_ making Blue's lip curl.

"Sounds like _my_ kind of party." -the defective Amethyst states.

Blue isn's quite sure what a party is, but she hums in agreement. "Indeed."

The Pearl hesitates. "W-well you've brought it all on yourselves, Blue Diamond. Mistreating your subjects and servants for so long was _bound_ to cause retribution."

"Perhaps we have." -Blue concedes, shocking the Rebel. "The fact remains, however, that you have upset a carefully maintained balance, and left a vacuum in its place. If you will not rule in our stead, then you must ensure that order is restored to the Empire, if only so that the violence ends."

Garnet crosses her arms. "We've been talking with Blue Pearl about how best to reestablish some form of government."

Blue sneers. "Ah, yes. This _democracy_ she keeps mentioning. You are welcome to try, and _fail_. In any case, such radical changes will not sit well with many of our former, _loyal_ subjects. They will _not_ listen to _you_."

"They listened to Steven." -the fusion points out.

" _Once_. Likely out of fear, under duress, as they saw Yellow being defeated by that _abomination_ you call Alexandrite. The Quartz child may be charming, but he is far too naive, too _innocent_ to do what must be done to truly end this conflict."

"And that is…?"

Blue narrows her eyes. "Free my sister."

The Peridot looks _dangerously_ close to poofing as she says this. " _Ha!_ It seems your exile has resulted in insanity." -the Pearl sneers.

"Yeah, no, lady. That bubble ain't poppin' anytime soon." -the Amethyst says, looking to Garnet, who merely hums.

"Garnet? What is it? _Surely_ you're not even _considering_ this proposal…?" -the Pearl asks, slightly frantic.

Garnet looks up at her. "She's not done talking."

"Listen to your Seer, Rebels."

"Keeping Yellow Diamond hostage isn't earning us any favors. In fact, in over half the possible futures I can see, it ends up backfiring on us by attracting fanatics of hers to us, trying to free her." -Garnet admits.

Blue is intrigued by the fusion's powers - wondering if this is how the Crystal Gems managed to remain a thorn on their side for so long. "Already there are whispers among the upper castes. They _know_ she's here, and as soon as they overcome the pressure of the lesser Gems…"

This makes them nervous. _Good_ , she thinks, _never negotiate with a confident party_. "If we allow her to reform, she'll simply go back to her position in the Authority. Except _this_ time, she'll _actively_ be trying to kill us." -the Pearl argues, and she's not wrong.

"She is not aware that I know the truth of Pink's passing." -Blue confesses. "I kept it from her, to be used as leverage. I can convince her to step down, _for good_. You do not know my sister as I do. Yellow does not relish the power she held as Commander of Homeworld's military. She would be glad to relinquish this authority."

Peridot timidly raises her hand. "U-um. I-I used to s-serve Yellow D-Diamond. I don't see this h-happening. My Diamond!" -she stutters, automatically snapping a smart salute at the end.

Blue is equal parts unimpressed and melancholic. She kneels, even then dwarfing the tiny Gem. "My sister was not always the conqueror she became. Before Earth, she would be happy to ignore the colonies _I_ gifted her, spending her days inventing our technology instead. You remind me of her..." -she notes. "It was only after the War that she was forced to become Homeworld's de facto leader, in my absence."

Pearl shakes her head. "We will deal with whatever _fanatics_ come. Yellow Diamond is just that: a Diamond. She will not step down."

"So proclaims the warrior Pearl." -Blue says, sarcastic.

The rogue blushes slightly. Garnet turns to her. "I don't like this either, Pearl, but we _have_ to think this through. Think of Steven: every Gem that would try to free Yellow Diamond would see Rose in his place. The reason their leader is bubbled in the first place. We can't put him in that kind of danger."

Judging by the fact that Steven Universe managed to escape Rose's ill-fated trial and Homeworld itself, Blue doesn't see how a few zealous Gem could pose a threat, but she wisely stays quiet.

"You don't know that." -Pearl says.

Blue sneers. "I may find Garnet a morbid being, but part of her is a Sapphire, renegade. If anyone knows, it's _her."_

Garnet frowns at her jab, but lets it slide. "Blue Diamond is right. This is currently the best course of action available."

Pearl sighs. " _Fine_. But we _have_ to establish some ground rules, before we even let you _see_ her bubble."

Blue smiles internally. This, she can work with.

* * *

There's _tens of thousands_ of them. Easily enough to colonize Earth thrice over.

Blue is almost afraid to ask. "These are…?"

Garnet nods "Corrupted. The ones you left behind. And most of the Crystal Gems, of course."

They're alone inside the Crystal Gem Temple, in what the enigmatic fusion calls the "Burning Room". She's shape-shifted into an uncomfortably small shape, only slightly taller than Garnet, her gemstone taking up most of her diminished torso.

Blue closes her eyes in shame. "The power was too great...we did not anticipate just how much the Song would take from us. We could not Sing long enough to allow a full retreat."

"You should not have Sung at all." -Garnet icily states, a tearful track making its way down her left cheek.

Blue nods, wiping away her own tears with her hand. "You are not wrong. Our soldiers did not deserve this fate. _No one_ does." -she admits. "This is _wrong_. _We_ were...wrong."

Garnet seems to loosen. "That's _not_ an apology…but I appreciate the admission."

"You claim the Quartz child can reverse it?"

"You've seen Jasper. She was corrupted here. She has her scars, but...the actual Corruption is gone." -she confirms.

Blue sighs. "I do not know why Pink would think to allow a Rose Quartz power to rival our own...but I thank the stars that she had such foresight."

"Pink Diamond was the best the Authority had to offer. For what it's worth, I'm sorry our rebellion led to her death. Rose never wanted that. Until the end, Pink _was_ her Diamond." -Garnet says, sad.

"There is little to apologize for. The Gem who must answer for the actual crime is unable to do so. Has been, since the War's end."

"I'm sorry. I don't see a future where she reforms."

"I hope your fused state obscures a far flung future where she does. I long for her to _try_ and defend her actions."

Garnet hums, somewhat amused. "Maybe."

Blue narrows her eyes. "Just _what_ of this amuses you, fusion?"

"Ruby and Sapphire fear you, and rightly so. You could probably shatter us now, if you wanted to. _I_ just find it funny, how much I make you uncomfortable. Ruins your legend a little."

Blue refuses to deign that with a response, although she supposes that the comment has succeeded in defusing her wrath. " _Just_ give me Yellow's bubble and allow me to leave."

"We both know it's not that simple. I lied to Pearl, you know. Yellow Diamond won't just let this go, leverage or not. She wants revenge...and I see many futures in which she gets it."

" _What_?"

"I'm taking a page out of Steven's book on this one. It's... _difficult_ to trust someone who has promised to destroy you...but I feel like you've earned it, a little. You _can_ convince her…" -she says, adjusting her shades, which glint brightly, even in the low light cast by the superheated rock. "...but it won't be easy."

Blue wavers. "How...what should I do?"

Garnet walks towards the lava pool, sticking her hands in the igneous material. "You've never faced a foe you couldn't beat, Blue Diamond. That's why _we're_ here, and _she's_ inside."

As the fusion pulls out a large bubble in the multicolor shades of a certain massive fusion, Blue understands.


	3. Chapter 3

They're in her Palace. As soon as news came in that Yellow Diamond might have returned to Homeworld, the streets around it emptied. Blue knows it's not surrender; the Rebels _know_ that the Diamonds can be defeated, now. This is merely a tactical retreat, watching, planning for their next move.

Fools. Nothing has changed.

Pearl stands on her shoulder, her rapier valiantly drawn. Blue used to be so _certain_ that her former servant couldn't summon a weapon, that no Pearl ever could, but it seems White's renegade has found a way, and the information has spread. In another time, she might have been appalled, would have had her shattered. Now, she's actually somewhat proud of Pearl.

The room they're in has been extensively modified for containment - just in case, as the humans say - but its centerpiece is still its most intimidating feature. Yellow's gemstone lies on the floor, as it has for the past twenty-two cycles, since Alexandrite's bubble was popped. She has remained vigilant, her own claymore drawn. Garnet's warning has admittedly put her on edge, and yet more than once, she's wondered if it is necessary. Yellow is her sister; the last _living_ being in the universe she truly, utterly cares for, even loves. And, in spite of the open resentment Yellow harbors towards her because of her abandonment of duty, because of the pressure leading an entire civilization put her under, Blue _knows_ Yellow loves her back.

And yet, here she is, ready to cleave her beloved sister in half as soon as she's reborn. Perhaps the annoying Aquamarine didn't _really_ deserve to be poofed for her comment. She really might as well add a star to her physical form. She's become a traitor.

 _For Pink_ , she reminds herself. _For love._

Isn't that what the Crystal Gems rebelled for, though? Love?

Love for the planet Earth, which Homeworld's colonization would've irreparably damaged? Love for its inhabitants, whose extinction the Authority not only predicted, but eagerly awaited? Love for each other, as Garnet's existence eternally proves?

She must admit, thinking about it is...unpleasant, now that she has paid any amount of attention to humans - not as a species, but as _individuals_. It brings about uncomfortable truths, heinous realities that she - and White and Yellow, but that's hardly an excuse - not only brought about, but actively sought to worsen. One look at her murals tells the terrifying story: for every colony she annexed to the Empire, billions of native life forms perished. Earth was not even meant to be the last, only a lasting reprieve on their hunt for more resource rich worlds. Humans were simple beings, not even past their nomadic stage. White hardly bat an eye before ordering Pink's creation. They _all_ celebrated when she burst forth from the soil, gray, dry, and _dead_ around her beautiful form.

They didn't even bother hiding the dessicated corpses of the humans who had been unlucky enough to live around her incubation site. In retrospect, this must have been the first catalyst for her rebellion.

"Any change?" -she asks the Peridot, eager to get her mind on another line of thoughts. The Crystal Gem fidgets - something she didn't even know Era 2 Gems could _do_ \- rubbing her arm.

The technician purses her lips, uncertain. "She _should_ reform sometime this cycle. I'm...not actually sure of exactly _when_ , however. There are no records on Diamond regenerations to compare against."

Blue frowns, but can't bring herself to begrudge the rebel. Pink's physical form cannot regenerate - _yet_ , she promises herself - and White never 'poofed', even after her fateful encounter with Rose Quartz and her _blasted_ shield.

She finds herself wishing the permafusion were here, but alas, they are... _preparing_. _Just in case_. She finds her somewhat comforting, of late - she can see why the Crystal Gems have elected to replace their absent leader with her. She still finds her existence irksome - this is likely never to change - but the Ruby and the Sapphire that form her are, in a way, old acquaintances of hers. Blue tends to find more common ground with Garnet than she ever does with the proud, renegade Pearl, or worse, the Earth-raised Amethyst.

There is much she would like to talk to Garnet about. Ultimately, she is still lost, and such a pioneer is, in her mind, the best help she's got in trying to find her new self.

"My lady, I think it's time." -Pearl says, holding tighter onto her sword. Indeed, her sister's heavy gemstone has begun to glow, slowly floating into position. Blue has seen many a Gem regenerate in her eons of existence, but she can easily admit that seeing Yellow reform is another kind of experience entirely: the room seems to have come aglow, as if a small nova were forming right in front of them. She can sense the Peridot's terror, and Pearl's dread.

Yellow's template - identical to her own base shape, she _assumes_ \- forms very slowly. She supposes it's to be expected, as this is her first time going through this process. Eventually, the details of her appearance are defined, and with one final pulse of golden light, she falls to the floor, panting.

"Welcome back, sister." -she says, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.

Her equal rises, a hard mask settling on her features, though not before Blue can see pride, relief, confusion, and betrayal pass through her expression. " _Am I_ , Blue? Has protocol changed so much in my absence that I am to be welcomed back at swordpoint?"

"Much has indeed changed, sister. But I do not wish to harm you. That remains the same."

Yellow hums. "Is that true for your servant as well? I can feel her _valiant_ glare. _Pathetic_. And the little traitor cowering behind you, does she not bear me ill will, either? As I recall, she is to be _shattered_ for her incompetence."

"There is little point in arguing on this, Yellow. The Authority is finished, and these Gems hold no allegiance to you or I. They are free, and they have _chosen_ to assist me."

Her sister's mask cracks; she seems genuinely surprised to hear that the Diamonds no longer rule, unable to respond for some time. " _What have you done_? I trusted you to carry on our legacy, to protect the Empire in my absence...and you've _handed it over_?"

Blue narrows her eyes. "You wished for me to return to my ancient ways, did you not? There exists such a thing as compromise, and it is what has brought you back. But I did not negotiate your release for the benefit of our defunct rule."

Yellow is not satisfied. "I wished for you to fulfill your _purpose_ , Blue! We are _Diamonds_. We were _made_ to rule, to achieve victory over all lifeforms, to secure the continued existence of Gemkind! What do you suppose will happen to _them_ without our guidance?" -she asks, outraged, pointing at her former servant, at the gawking rebel.

It is so rare of Yellow to mention their creation, especially in front of such lesser Gems, but it appears that her outrage is greater than her need to keep up appearances. "I do not know, nor do I _care_. I have transcended my intended purpose, and found a more noble use for my existence. I suggest you listen, sister."

Yellow's feature turn almost metallic. "To the words of Rose Quartz? _Never_. She has corrupted you, Blue, can you not see?" -she pleads, desperation and fear creeping into her tone. Yellow strides over to her, grabbing her hands and holding them. "We can defeat them, sister. _Together_. Not even their _abominations_ can stop the might of two Diamonds. Think on this: what would Pink say, if she saw you allying yourself to the monsters that destroyed her?"

Blue yanks her hands away, to Yellow's shock. "You _dare_ talk of her shattering? Of corruption!?" -she yells, brandishing her claymore again, putting it between them. " _No_. I _know_ , Yellow. I know what White Diamond wrought. What _you_ helped her hide from _me_."

Yellow looks terrified. Blue is accutely reminded of the many sparring sessions they'd had in their first years of existence, under White's watchful eyes. Yellow had always been the better fighter, of course, but Blue's emotions could very quickly turn the tide against her.

Her sister remains in silent shock for some time. " _How_?" -she asks.

"After my Zircon cast doubt on Pink's shattering, I wanted answers. Much to my surprise, I discovered _gaps_ in my memory, _imperfections_ no Diamond's mind should ever have. When Alexandrite defeated you, I knew they would come for me next. And so, I made a deal with the Crystal Gems. I would not stand in their way, so long as they helped me avenge Pink. Rose Quartz could not remember her deeds either, but she knew of a way to enter my mind. And all we found where the details of Pink's shattering should've been, was White's words."

"You let Rose Quartz inside your mind? Blue, you _must_ have had your thoughts altered by that war criminal!"

"See, that _is_ what happened. But not at her hands. It was White who did this to me, who made me forget that _she_ destroyed my beloved Pink!" -Blue bellows, thrusting her sword forward, the tip barely grazing against Yellow's abdomen. "And _you_ helped her hide it!"

Yellow's gemstone glows as she pulls out her battleaxe, fast as the lightning that now wreathes her form. " _Lies!_ " -she bellows, bringing the weapon down on her head. She swiftly blocks the blow with her claymore, holding it in place with her hand, the light-forged weapons clanging as if they were metallic. Pearl jumps off her shoulder, landing on top of Yellow's head and stabbing her with her rapier. Yellow's eyes close - in annoyance, Blue assumes - and she flares the destabilizing energy outwards. Pearl _somehow_ manages to jump off before she comes to harm, landing somewhere behind her comparatively enormous foe. Blue has no clue where the rebel Peridot is, but she's hoping she's doing what she's supposed to.

" _Are they_?" -Blue grinds out, pushing out with such might that her sibling is forced to step back. "We uncovered the fight, in Rose's mind. The blackmail she attempted with Pink's bubbled gemstone. White's callous disregard of the rebel threat."

"It's not true! She has tricked you, sister!"

"I may misremember how Pink perished, but I cannot forget how little White thought of the Crystal Gems. It was no illusion, Yellow, but a buried memory. One which _you_ helped hide!"

Yellow wavers. "Please, Blue, stop this! Let us return things to how they were. We can forget the Crystal Gems, if that's what you want. I will allow you freedom from your duties, if I must...but _please_ , just _forget_!"

Blue's aura flares, the room thrumming with power. " _How am I supposed to forget you took away my beloved_!?"

Her counterpart seems to be panicking. "I...I didn't want to! _Please_ Blue, you _must_ believe me, there was nothing I could do!"

"Perhaps you _should_ listen to Rose Quartz' words. There is _always_ a choice. And you have chosen to _lie_ to me for the past five thousand years!"

" _I was doing my duty!_ " -Yellow finally shouts, her ever solid voice cracking. "Pink betrayed the Authority, Blue. She betrayed me, she betrayed her maker...and worst of all, she betrayed _you_! You loved her, and she chose _Earth_ , and her blasted Rebellion! When White told me, I was _devastated_. _I_ couldn't bear it. And _you_...you broke. You could not handle the truth, could not bring yourself to believe that she had _used_ us...used _you_."

Blue can't help but tear up. The worst thing is, she _knows_ this. She and Steven watched these ancient events unfold, when unearthing her memories. She would be lying to herself if she thought it hadn't shaken her to her core. It still did.

Yellow is angry now. "How do you think the Rebellion remained relevant? The _genius_ of Rose Quartz? She was a glorified _bodyguard_. She led an army of _flaws_ \- very publically, very loudly, so that we could not see that Pink Diamond herself fed them every scrap of data on us she could get her hands on. Defeat after defeat, we wondered...but White knew."

"And your solution was to _shatter her_?"

" _No!_ _Nothing_ about what happened was meant to be! Pink knew that we would discover her treason. She had herself _destroyed_ by Rose Quartz. Her ever faithful lieutenant challenged her to a duel, and Pink _lost_. And she had the _gall_ to present her gemstone to us...to _you_! She thought she could _trick_ us into believing Pink's loyalty."

Blue closes her eyes. She knows what happens next.

Yellow seems defeated. "White...she had never fought before. Never given in to rage. We could have never known…" -she says, haunted. For the first time in eons, Yellow's face is streaked with tears. "That _blasted_ shield... _she was_ _just_ _a Rose Quartz_! She shouldn't have been able to defend against White Diamond's power!"

"But she _did_ …" -Blue finishes for her, horrified. Rose's shield had worked in defending her, and the blast had been redirected. Straight into her bubble, and _through_ Pink Diamond.

Yellow walks up to her, practically collapsing into her arms. Blue is still the one openly weeping, but her sister has not stopped crying. " _Please_...Blue, you _must_ forgive me...it was the only way to keep you functioning after Pink...we _needed_ you back. White was damaged, we had no way to _fix_ her, and the Rebellion had become emboldened…"

"You changed my memories...had me believe Rose Quartz had slain Pink, that I would join you in hatred, in the _Song_ …"

"It _was_ Rose Quartz. _She_ deflected the bolt into Pink's bubble, into White herself!"

"Oh, Yellow… _stop_ it. _Stop_ justifying your actions. We were monsters, my sister. It is a fact plain for all to see. And monsters we left, in our wake."

"I...I can never apologize enough." -Yellow says, lost. Somehow, smaller in her arms.

Blue sighs. The vitriol is gone. "Then do not. Those we once ruled do not want our apologies. They want us _gone_. All they care for is their freedom."

Yellow laughs, mirthless. "I never _wanted_ to rule. I only ever wanted to improve, to invent. But I had a duty to fulfill. _We_ did."

"A duty that no longer exists, Yellow. The Authority is ended."

Her fellow Diamond is lost, that much is clear. But Blue is as well. In that, they can commiserate. "Truly, then? What of White?"

"Blissfully unaware. As she has been for the last five thousand years. Perhaps one day, we'll fix her, that she may truly pay for her crime."

"Is her existence not punishment _enough_?"

Blue's features harden. " _No_."

Yellow sighs. "And me? What is to be my purpose now?" -she asks, taking in the room around them.

"You wish for atonement, sister? I can think of a way for you to obtain it."

* * *

 **Blue knows the difference between Rose and Steven. Yellow doesn't, and Blue's not in the mood for that explanation.**

 **I don't imagine the canon will go this way, but it'd be neat if this huge murder mystery ended in an accidental death that the perpetrator can't feel guilty for. White is commatose in this fic, for lack of a better term.**

 **Sorry about the long wait! I was on vacation, hah. Until next time!**


End file.
